President Joe Biden Speaks In Cleveland, Lays Out Economic Vision

CLEVELAND — President Joe Biden spoke to a crowd at Cuyahoga Community College on Thursday afternoon.

Before his political allies in Ohio, like Mayor Nan Whaley and Rep. Tim Ryan, Biden discussed his economic plan for the nation. First and foremost, he said, the nation must tame the COVID-19 pandemic.

That's why, he said, in the early days of his administration he prioritized production of COVID-19 vaccines and getting those vaccines into the arms of all Americans. With that accomplished, he could turn his attention to restarting the economy.

"Schools are reopening. Businesses are reopening. Restaurants are reopening," Biden said. "And as of last night, thanks to Ohio's vaccine lottery, Ohio has a new millionaire."

The president said the next steps in recovery are determining what kind of economy we should build. America cannot, he said, rely any longer on trickle down economics, but must instead reward the blue collar workers who labor day in and day out.

"Wall Street did not build this country. The middle class built this country and unions built the middle class,"Biden said.

The president noted that Americans struggling to put food on the table has dropped 30 percent and unemployment is now at March 2020 levels. He touted his focus on getting emergency payments to Americans and providing easy access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The president said he wanted to invest in American infrastructure, noting that the nation has now been ranked No. 13 globally for infrastructure. In April, the federal government gave Ohio a "C-" for the condition of its infrastructure.

The Ohio analysis starts by noting that 1,377 bridges and 4,925 miles of highway in Ohio are in poor condition. Since 2011, Ohio drivers have seen their commute times increase by 5.7 percent. Each Ohio driver pays $506 annually due to driving on roads in disrepair.

The president also vowed to only use American contractors for any federal construction projects.

"These are going to be good jobs, American jobs, that deliver good wages and dignity," Biden said.

The president also suggested raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent. He also argued against corporate stock buybacks, which boost a company's stock value and boost a CEO's pay.

"There's a new bargain and everyone is going to be in on it this time," Biden said.